Softly-softly isn’t working. Time to play hard with wealthy Russians living in Britain
Oliver BulloughAfter the Salisbury poisonings, it’s time to tell Putin’s inner circle that they are no longer welcome here

South-east England is a favourite playground of rich Russians. They keep their houses here, their children here, they float their companies on our stock exchange and they don’t make a secret of it. You’re not rich in Russia without being friends with Putin – in fact, there is a remarkably close correlation between the two groups – so if May’s government wants to send a message to the Russian president, it could cancel the visas of the members of his inner circle and, perhaps, try out the potency of its new “unexplained wealth orders”, by freezing their property. Then it should dismantle the mechanisms with which they launder their money.

As I remarked before, the Brits do not mind the rich people wherever they come from (even from Thailand), important they bring their "clean" money:

The dark side of Britain’s gold rush: how corruption crept into our suburbs

The Observer
The super rich flooded into London after 2008. Illicit wealth has followed

The glut of funds flowing into the UK can be viewed as a sign of confidence in its economy and confirmation that it is one of the most attractive countries in the world in which to live. But, while much of the foreign money inflating property bubbles and private-school fees will have come from legitimate sources, there are grounds to suspect that some has been acquired through the proceeds of corruption.

Gulnara Karimova – the daughter of the late, former Uzbek dictator Islam Karimov, described in leaked US embassy cables as the “single most hated person” in Uzbekistan – is believed to have owned several flats in Belgravia worth millions of pounds. Karimova, who is alleged to have pocketed hundred of millions in bribes for allowing telecoms firms access to the Uzbek market, has been linked to the properties through a company in the British Virgin Islands.

James Ibori, a former governor of one of Nigeria’s oil-producing states, was jailed after admitting stealing £160m over eight years, spending some of the stolen money on six houses in London – including a Hampstead mansion – and putting his children through elite private schools.

The campaign group Global Witness highlights the example of Maxim Bakiyev, the playboy first son of a former president of Kyrgyzstan, who has been convicted in absentia of using his position to steal from the Kyrgyz people. Kyrgyz court decisions implicate Bakiyev in the embezzlement of millions of funds from the Kyrgyz state, illegally privatising public land and selling off state energy firms for a fraction of their value.

Establishing who is behind these trusts is often impossible. Analysis by Transparency International and Thomson Reuters was unable to identify the real owners of more than half of 44,022 land titles owned by overseas companies. Nine out of 10 of the properties were bought via tax havens. However, the analysis was able to establish that almost 1,000 of the titles were owned by Peps (“politically exposed persons”), powerful individuals identified as having political influence and who constitute the greatest corruption risk, according to Transparency International.

Much of the money being laundered has come from assets plundered from the former Soviet bloc countries and African states. A wave of privatisations in the 1990s saw the illegal transfer of billions made from the corrupt sale of mining rights, telecoms contracts, gas and oil concessions.

And not speaking about the poor guys fighting each other, Mr. Abramovich and the late Mr. Berezovsky (wondering why his death had not been attributed to Mr. Putin?)

Unlike Slyam the British are very tolerant they also welcome poor scum alongside rich scum hoping that cricket fairplay and table manners may rub off, I'm not sure the taxpayers like these asylum seekers, millionaires as so few seem to contribute hence the Brexit shock.Can you imagine this place allowing non Thais welfare rights, voting and property rights etc.

The abuse of the generous and blatant failure to deport failed asylum seekers foreign born criminals' groomers and dubious Oligarchs will backfire and wobble an already fragile social harmony

Frankly, who is naive enough to think that now - after all the show - the govt will say "sorry, we haven't found anything useful, just a sour stomach from the ice-cream consumed on the bench in park"...

Frankly, who is naive enough to think that now - after all the show - the govt will say "sorry, we haven't found anything useful, just a sour stomach from the ice-cream consumed on the bench in park"...

The former Russian double agent and his daughter poisoned by a deadly nerve agent will either die or be crippled by their exposure to Novichok, according to the whistleblower who alerted the world to Russia’s secret chemical weapons programme.Vil Mirzayanov, a chemist who worked at the heart of the Soviet programme, said Russia was the only country able to produce and deploy such a powerful nerve agent, and he warned that many more people may fall ill.“It is at least 10 times more powerful than any known nerve agent. Plus practically it is incurable,” he said at his New Jersey home on Monday evening.“These people are gone – the man and his daughter. Even if they survive they will not recover. That is the terrible damage it does.

"Based on the positive identification of this chemical agent by world-leading experts at Porton Down [No Proof submitted for ratification], our knowledge that Russia[Russia or USSR] has previously produced this agent and would still be capable of doing so[No Proof submitted for ratification], Russia’s record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations[No Proof submitted for ratification], and our assessment[No Proof submitted for ratification]that Russia views some defectors as legitimate targets for assassinations[No Proof submitted for ratification], the government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal[No Proof submitted for ratification]…. Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country[No Proof submitted for ratification]. Or the Russian government lost control[No Proof submitted for ratification] of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others[No Proof submitted for ratification]…

Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom……

This attempted murder using a weapons-grade nerve agent in a British town[No Proof submitted for ratification] was not just a crime against the Skripals.

“It was an indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom[No Proof submitted for ratification as to whether the "UK assesment is valid], putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk. And we will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil. I commend this statement to the House…."

The UK government, without actually presenting any evidence on this case and previous unproven accusations against Russia, have publicly demanded Russia proves it didn't do it, within 36 hours, or the PM will request from the Sovereign permission to "take all necessary steps" to ensure Russia never is in a position to do anything similar again.

The ameristani vassal has threatened war. Shades of recent previous wars being committed on sexed-up propaganda which consequently after more lives are lost will prove to be false. What will the new assembly of warmongers be called this time, The May Massacre?

I wonder if the upcoming Russian elections have anything to do with this charade.

^Who is naive enough - from what has been presented - not to believe that

it is “highly likely” Moscow was responsible

----

not only the nerve agent but also:

Speaking to MPs on Monday, Ms May set out a “well-established pattern of Russian state aggression” – including invading Crimea, fomenting overseas conflict, violating European airspace and meddling in other country’s elections.

She then went on to give a strong indication of potential avenues for action, saying the UK is committed to collective defence through NATO “in the face of Russian behaviour”.

She added: “Indeed our armed forces have a leading role in Nato’s Enhanced Forward Presence with British troops leading a multinational battle group in Estonia.

(CNN)It's been described as among the deadliest chemical weapons ever made.

But Novichok, the substance confirmed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May to have been used in the attempted murder of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, is not merely lethal, it's also highly unusual.

It's so unusual in fact, that very few scientists outside of Russia have any real experience in dealing with it.The substance, which means "newcomer" in Russian, was first developed in secret by the Soviet Union during the Cold War in the 1980s, as a means of countering US chemical weapons defenses.
Its existence remained secret until the mid-nineties, when information regarding its production was revealed as part of a deliberate leak by disgruntled Soviet scientist and whistle-blower Vil Mirzayanov. Even today, no country outside of Russia is known to have developed the substance.
It's that information that helped the UK Government conclude it was "highly likely" that either Russia tried to kill Skripal directly, or it had lost control of the nerve agent.Speaking to CNN, chemical weapons expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon described Novichok as "a very sophisticated chemical weapon" that only a very select number of states would be capable of handling.
"It is difficult to imagine a scenario that doesn't have Russian hands all over it," said de Bretton-Gordon, a former commanding officer of the UK military's Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Regiment.
"So, the chance that perhaps some of these Novichoks have been stolen by criminals or terrorists from Russia is a possibility, and we wait to see an explanation from the Russian Ambassador to London tomorrow, but I think highly unlikely."

According to Professor Gary Stephens, pharmacology expert at the University of Reading, Novichok is a more "dangerous and sophisticated" nerve agent than sarin which has been used in chemical weapons attacks in Syria, or VX, which was used to assassinate Kim Jong Nam, the brother of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at an airport in Malaysia last year.
It is also harder to identify. "One of the main reasons these agents are developed is because their component parts are not on the banned list," said Stephens, referring to the Chemical Weapons Convention, an international arms control treaty signed in 1993 that prohibits the use, development, production, stockpiling and transfer of chemical weapons.
"It means the chemicals that are mixed to create it are much easier to deliver with no risk to the health of the courier," said Stephens.
A colorless, odorless and tasteless liquid, Novichok would be easy to transport, suggested de Bretton-Gordon, who described it as likely going undetected "through an airport or a seaport or even through the mail."

Like other nerve agents, Novichok works by causing a slowing of the heart and restriction of the airways, leading to a slow and often painful death by asphyxiation.
Andrea Sella, professor of chemistry at University College London, described Novichok as causing a "systemic collapse of many bodily functions."
"In essence what they do is to block the mechanism that allows a nerve to reset itself after a signal has been transmitted," said Sella, adding that the symptoms were largely consistent, "especially the labored breathing and the muscular rigidity."
There is no treatment, only supportive care, including oxygen, anti-seizure medication, atropine, used for some poisoning patients, and pralidoxime chloride, given to inhibit poisoning including by nerve agents. Even just small doses can cause confusion and drowsiness.
"Treatment involves supporting breathing and delivering pharmaceuticals that on the one hand moderate the behavior of the nervous system and that can reverse the action of the agent," said Sella.
"It is likely that there will be long-term neurological problems for a person who has been exposed to these agents."Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, remain hospitalized in critical condition. A police officer who came into contact with the nerve agent, Detective Sgt. Nick Bailey, remains hospitalized in serious condition but has been speaking to visitors.
The next question facing the UK government is how precisely the attack was administered -- and how the Skripals ingested the agent.
According to the medical handbook, Responding to Terrorism, published in 2010, Novichok nerve agents "may be dispersed as an ultra-fine powder as opposed to a gas or a vapor," with the main route of exposure thought to be by inhalation, although "absorption may also occur via skin or mucous membrane exposure."
According to the book's authors, professors Ian Greaves and Paul Hunt, the Novochok class of agent was reportedly engineered to be undetectable by standard detection equipment, meaning further investigation may prove to be difficult.
On Friday, an additional 180 military personnel were deployed to the scene to help police investigate several sites amid concerns over potential contamination.
This was followed yesterday by the removal of the restaurant table where Sergei and Yulia Skripal ate on the day of attack for examination, a source confirmed to CNN. Restaurant employees were also advised to wash their uniforms, but not to burn them.
However, in spite of the extreme toxicity of these compounds, there would be very little risk to the general population, suggested professor Salla.
"There is no way of spreading the material around and it would decompose relatively swiftly in damp conditions," said Salla, who described the attempted murder as a "highly targeted attack."

The Russians could have bumped off this double agent while they had him in custody, but they released him, and the message the Russians have sent out is this " Don't think we won't get you, anywhere you hide, it'll never be safe"

The Russians could have bumped off this double agent while they had him in custody, but they released him, and the message the Russians have sent out is this " Don't think we won't get you, anywhere you hide, it'll never be safe"

No, he was useful because they involved him in a prisoner swap (they got that Anna Chapman back).

Donald Trump has fired his Secretary of State hours after Rex Tillerson backed the UK's claim that the Salisbury nerve agent attack was "highly likely" to have originated in Russia. It was reported by the Washington Post that Mr Tillerson was informed of his dismissal several days ago.

However, the timing of the announcement, which followed the White House’s refusal to echo Theresa May’s accusation against Moscow, risks isolating Downing Street. The US President tweeted that the CIA Director Mike Pompeo would take over at the State Department.

Russia demands access to sample of Novichok nerve agent as deadline looms A senior White House official said: “The president wanted to make sure to have his new team in place in advance of the upcoming talks with North Korea and various ongoing trade negotiations.”

There had been longstanding rumors to friction between the President and Mr Tillerson, a former Exxon Mobile chief executive. The Secretary of State had previously been forced to deny media reports that he called Mr Trump a “moron”.

On Monday, Mr Tillerson had echoed the Prime Minister’s comments about Moscow’s involvement in the Salisbury attack, saying it “clearly came from Russia”.

Tell me HoHo, at what point in your mental decline did you start believing that you are important enough to be able to receive classified information?

You may wish to brush up on legally signed agreements regarding procedures on the alleged use of chemical weapons. I believe there is a UN document if you can absorb some facts available to all of us not just your favourite "people of status".

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

It's so unusual in fact, that very few scientists outside of Russia have any real experience in dealing with it.

You may wish to investigate where the Russian/Soviet person who designed the weapons resides and for how long he has been living there. You may also wish to investigate which country had access to these types of weapons, what agreements they signed after the dissolution of USSR and which country "assisted", the ex USSR country, with the clean up of the facilities where the weapons were tested and stored and paid them handsomely for the privilege.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

The Russians have got until midnight to respond, otherwise the British will write them a very stiff letter of admonishment.

The Russian Foreign minister replied prior to the threat of war. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokes person, the blonde lady, replies yesterday. Not that your impeccable "sources" would publish them.

"On Tuesday, Moscow balked at this demand, with the Russian Foreign Ministry saying that it had summoned British Ambassador to Moscow Laurie Bristow. “We have certainly heard the ultimatum voiced in London,” Russia's top diplomat Sergey Lavrov said. “The spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry has commented on our attitude to this,” he added referring to Maria Zakharova branding of May’s appearance in Parliament as a “circus.”

Lavrov said that a case of alleged use of chemical weapons should be handled through the proper channel, being the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of which both Russia and Britain are members.

“As soon as the rumours came up that the poisoning of Skripal involved a Russia-produced agent, which almost the entire English leadership has been fanning up, we sent an official request for access to this compound so that our experts could test it in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention [CWC],” Lavrov said. So far the request has been ignored by the British side, he added."

Originally Posted by Wilsonandson

Rex Tillerson backed the UK's claim that the Salisbury nerve agent attack was "highly likely" to have originated in Russia.

An ex government officer who has no authority to speak on behalf of ameristan. What has he got to do with anything, he allegedly was fired on Friday. A has-been.

The only good thing is that the hag from the ameristani UN team wasn't selected.

You may also wish to investigate the ex spy's relationship with the ex MI6 spy who was responsible for the unproven Russian hacking allegations.

After spy is poisoned, Britain mulls closing door to London for Russia's rich

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Britain’s response to the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal on its soil, using a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union, could hit members of the Russian elite hard if it closes the door on their London lifestyles.

Britain gave Russian President Vladimir Putin until midnight on Tuesday to provide an explanation for the attack, and is due to consider its official response on Wednesday.

One possible counter-measure, suggested by British lawmaker Tom Tugendhat, could involve denying Russia’s so-called oligarchs access to the luxuries of London, where many have channeled their fortunes, traded their companies and relocated their family lives.

Most prominent among the residents of “Londongrad”, as the British capital has been nicknamed for its popularity among the Russian elite, are Roman Abramovich and Alisher Usmanov, respectively owner and major shareholder of the English football clubs Chelsea and Arsenal.

But they are far from alone. Around 10-15 percent of the 96 Russians on the so-called “oligarch list” published by the U.S. Treasury Department in January could have close ties to Britain, according to Vladimir Ashurkov, a businessman and critic of the Kremlin based in London.

“It’s very possible that Britain will take measures that could affect these individuals,” Ashurkov said.

“We know that London is a large haven for money that come from Russia ... Britain has the capacity to investigate this money and the activity of specific people,” he added.

Among the best-known are a group of long-time business partners associated with the investment vehicle LetterOne, which sports three offices in London’s wealthy Mayfair district alone.

The firm’s founder, Mikhail Fridman, owns a mansion in London’s Highgate, according to the company restoring the property.

One of the firm’s investors, Petr Aven, has given journalists tours around his estate in Surrey, in the southeast of England.

Among the best-known are a group of long-time business partners associated with the investment vehicle LetterOne, which sports three offices in London’s wealthy Mayfair district alone.

The firm’s founder, Mikhail Fridman, owns a mansion in London’s Highgate, according to the company restoring the property.

One of the firm’s investors, Petr Aven, has given journalists tours around his estate in Surrey, in the southeast of England.

After being fired as Moscow mayor in 2010, Yuri Luzhkov moved his family to London, saying he feared for their safety.

Last December Yelena Baturina, his wife and Russia’s wealthiest woman, was made a director of the charity the Mayor’s Fund for London, according to Britain’s business directory Companies House.

Their daughter Olga studied at University College London, her social media accounts show.

It is by no means certain that oligarchs bringing their money home would receive a warm welcome, said Christopher Weafer, senior partner at Macro-Advisory, a consultancy in Moscow.

“Oligarchs could find themselves in the middle, in the firing ground as it were,” Weafer said.

“They could be the target of sanctions applied by the UK government, but on the other hand they will get absolutely no sympathy in Russia, because they brought their money out and spent it outside the country.”

Reuters has no evidence that any of the people mentioned, or their businesses, are going to be subject to any new British restrictions.